How to write winning a cv
How to write a winning CV
A top-class CV is vital to finding a new job in any industry, but especially so for niches as competitive as the accountancy and finance sectors. With the large number of candidates vying for positions it is vital that you are able to stand out from the crowd, and the CV is your tool in securing yourself an interview for the finance job that you want.
Thankfully setting out a great CV is not as hard as it sounds, many people fail to get their message across so by paying attention to some basic tips you can really draw recruiters eyes to your CV.
Layout is vital, writing a CV is about giving people what they want to see in an easily understandable format. Fancy layouts and innovate ideas have their place in life, but it is not on your CV. The trick is to give the reader the information in the layout they were expecting to receive, in the manner they want to receive it.
Contact details
Contact details have to be at the top of a CV. It is where every recruiter, HR professional and line manager expects to see them. The last thing you want a hiring company to do is have to search for how to contact you. Give it to them early so they know exactly where to find it.
Keyword list
More on this later but it is best to get a keyword list in as soon as possible to create the impression on the reader that you want.
Employment history
When writing a CV you need to make sure you include a full employment history, with dates of starting a leaving and as much information as possible about the role. Detail responsibilities and projects worked on.
Qualifications
All qualifications should be included on your CV. Both education and work based industry qualifications should be listed to help you stand out.
So thats the basics of the layout covered, but what should you actually be writing within that framework? That is where the real work comes in. Remember a CV is about selling yourself, about presenting yourself in the best possible light, so don't be afraid to blow your own trumpet!
The importance of a keyword list
Amazingly many people miss this vital tool out when writing their own CV, and I am confident it has cost many people the chance at landing the job they really want.
What is a keyword list? It is exactly what it sounds like... a list of the skills and attributes that you consider yourself best at. Any specifics for roles you want should be included here, as should any qualifications you are especially proud of.
Remember that a lot of the time your CV is being found on an online job board by means of a boolean search. So for your CV to come up in that search it has to have the keywords that the recruiter is searching for. They keyword list will help you make sure that everything is listed that you want.
It also helps to 'color the mind' of the recruiter. When reading the start of your CV the recruiter will be influenced by what he or she first sees. If that is a list of the skills they are looking for to fill the role then it will help them read the rest of the CV in a positive light.
Details in previous employment
The other major mistakes many people writing a CV make is to write their experiences too generically. This isn't what recruiters want to see, they want specifics they can relate to their job so they can see what direct work experience you have.
So list what you can. Talk about previous projects in details, mention budgets and responsibilities. Anything quantifiable such as value of projects work on can really make your CV stand out from the crowd.
Any extra responsibilities passed to you above what you would expect in a role need to be listed as well, show just how much trust was placed in you. It will help them to trust you as well.
So follow these tips and you can make sure that you have a CV that really stands out from the others that recruiters are reading, it will give you the best chance of getting your CV seen and securing the interview you want.